In the aftermath of a murder-suicide last month, victims, law enforcement agencies and advocacy groups are questioning the systems in place meant to protect domestic abuse victims.

Mary Jo Kornick's alleged killer shouldn't have been able to obtain the gun used in her murder. But he did.

The Freeport woman's alleged killer shouldn't have been in the vicinity of her home or work. But he was.

The mother of three's alleged killer was an Army veteran whose family said he suffered from mental health issues and needed help. But his son claims he wasn't.

Nicholas Domek, 72, of Pittsburgh is believed to have murdered Kornick May 11 in a hitman-style shooting in Buffalo Township and then killed himself in a Pittsburgh cemetery later that day.

The gun that police said Domek used would have been obtained illegally since he was prohibited from possessing a gun for several reasons, including a felony conviction in 1984. Additionally, a protection from abuse (PFA) order was issued against Domek to stay away from Kornick that also would have prevented him from possessing a firearm under state law.

“She had done everything the police wanted her to do,” said Sherry Kornick, the victim's daughter. “It's something that should've never happened.”

The warning signs were there ...

Middlesex Township Officer Conrad Pfeifer recalls responding to the shooting May 11.

“We're still trying to figure out how that happened,” Pfeifer said, referring to an accident Kornick got into right before she was killed. “The person who did this was dead set on doing harm to her. If someone is bent on killing someone, they're going to do it. A piece of paper doesn't make a difference.”

In the wake of the shooting, Sherry Kornick questions the legal system. She said she understood that in many cases, acts of violence are often random and without warning, but in the case of her mother, the warning signs were there.

Police said Domek attempted to kidnap Kornick in front of her workplace in Buffalo Township in December 2018 using a gun. Sherry Kornick contends this proved Domek wanted to harm Kornick and that he was willing to do it in a public place during the middle of the day. On May 11, Domek did just that when he shot Kornick along the east side of Route 356 near Freeport Transport, police said.

Additionally, Domek, a military veteran, had suicidal tendencies that his medical provider at the Pittsburgh VA knew about, according to Domek's son, Collin.

But Pfeifer said that there is no way to know how many guns someone slapped with a protection from abuse order has.

“There's no registration of guns in Pennsylvania. How do we know what they have? That's the law. I'm not for people taking guns away. I'm just saying we don't know how many guns that person has. Do you think an officer is going to go to someone's house and say, 'Give me all your guns?' We'll have a shootout on a regular basis,” Pfeifer said. “How many Ruby Ridges and Branch Davidian-type incidents will we have on our hands?”

But victim advocates are hopeful that people will respect the law behind protection from abuse orders the way they respect any other law in the country.

“PFA is a great first step. We know it's just a step in the right direction, and that people in Pennsylvania still manage to hurt a victim even with a PFA,” said Linda Strachan, director of Butler's Victims Outreach Intervention Center (VOICe). “We know that murder-suicide is a problem in the state of Pennsylvania.”

'There's always a possibility ... '

The following statistics were collected by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, an organization that helped pass a state law last year that reformed the firearms forfeiture process in domestic violence situations.

In 2018 alone, there were 23 murder-suicide incidents in the state between current intimate partners and four by former partners. In Butler County, there was one case.

Jessica A. Royall, 28, of Cranberry is accused by police of killing her boyfriend Ryan Minett, 27, of New Brighton in March 2018. According to the criminal complaint, Royall drove her Buick Rendezvous a half-mile on Cross Creek Drive with Minett hanging from a luggage rack on the rear driver's side of the vehicle. Witnesses reported seeing Minett fall off the vehicle near Little Pine Road, where he tumbled and hit a light pole. Investigators allege that he was dragged 2,629 feet. The cause of death was determined to be blunt impact injuries to the head, torso and extremities.

In 94 percent of cases, firearms were involved, the coalition reports. The overwhelming majority of victims are women and 90 percent of the killers are men.

“That speaks to the fact that men are much more likely to use a firearm,” Strachan said.

She observed that applying for protection from abuse orders can be dangerous as well. The application process itself puts the applicant at risk.

“That is a very dangerous time,” Strachan said. “But they have to understand, a PFA is absolutely a great thing; however, there's always a possibility that a perpetrator could find a victim.”

'We don't have the storage space ... '

Under the new state law, people who are served with a protection from abuse order must surrender their guns to law enforcement — either to the sheriff's office or their local law enforcement. Previously, people were allowed to hand over their guns to a third party, but Pfeifer pointed out that police aren't built to handle civil matters.

“The person has not committed a crime. Police are set up to handle crimes,” Pfeifer said.

He attended a recent training class with the county sheriff's office and other law enforcement entities from the area. He said that many agree that there is no process for such civil matters. “We don't have the storage space to put all these firearms,” Pfeifer said. “Then, we have to make sure the court case is adjudicated before we can give you the gun. The other thing is we have to do a background check before we give it back. So, that's what the class was about.”

In the end, Pfeifer said, the only sure way to keep an attacker away is to call the police.

“The biggest thing I could take away from all this is for the victim to report it as soon as possible, so we can take action as soon as possible. Don't wait 'til the next day,” Pfeifer said. “Don't wait a week. When he hits you, call 911.”